Wire-fence tool.



No. 684,858. Patented Oct. 22, l90l.

- C. E. PEARSON.

WIRE FENCE TOOL.

(A plication filed. Jan. 81, 1901.) (No Model.)

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NITED STATES PATENT FFICE,

WIRE-FENCE TOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,858, dated October 22, 1901. Application filed January 31 1901 Serial No. 45,505. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES EWELL PEAR- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mexia, in the county of Limestone and State of Texas, have invented a certain new and useful fire-Fence Tool, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying'drawings.

This invention relates to wire-fence tools; and the object in view is to provide a tool in the form of an attachment to a wire-stretch in g machine.

Y The tool forming the subject-matter of this invention when applied to the wire-stretcher constitutes the operating-handle thereof and when detached from the wire-stretcher coustitutes a combination-tool having several instrumentalities for performing different operations upon the fence-wires--as, for example, bending the lapping ends of the wires and afterward twisting or tying the same together, extracting the wire-holding staples, cutting off or severing the wire, and removing the bark from the fence-posts or otherwise trimming the posts preparatory to driving the staples which hold the line-wires in place thereon.

The invention relates particularly to the wire-cutting and staple-pulling features of the device and also to the means whereby the tool is applicable to the Windlass-shaft of a wire-stretcher.

With the above objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features and details of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and incorporated'in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation ofa combination wire-fence tool constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing the wire-cutter in position to receive the wire to be severed. 'Fig. 2 is an edge View of the same looking toward the cutting edge of the hatchet-blade. Fig. 3 is a plan viewof the wire-cutting disk and handle, taken from the opposite side of Fig. 1. Fig. i is a cross-sectiontaken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all figures of the drawlugs.

The wire-fence tool contemplated in this invention comprises, essentially, a handle 1, provided with a head 2, having extended from one side thereof a hatchet-blade 3 and from the opposite side thereof astaple extractor or puller 4, while extending longitudinally from the end of the head is a slotted extension forming a tying-fork 5. Centrally of the head is an opening or socket 6, which is preferably of irregular cross-sectional shape and provided with a plurality of fiat sides'and adapted to fit upon and receive the correspondingly-shaped end of the Windlass-shaft of a wire-stretching machine.

shaped recess 10, said recess being located as close to the center of the head as convenient in order to obtain the benefit of the thickest portion of the head, and thereby not detract The hatchet-- blade is provided in one side with adisk too much from the strength of the implement,

and especially the hatchet-blade. Fitting flush within the recess 10 is a cutter-disk 11,

sition or adjustment of the cutter-disk to register with a corresponding notch 13, formed in one edge of the hatchet-blade. 3, close to the base of the tying-fork 5. The cutter-disk 11 is further provided with an operating lever-handle 14, which is shaped to conform to the curvature of the handle 1 as it merges into the head 2, which operating-handle is adapted to be held in close relation to the handle 1 by means of a pivoted and swinging bail-shaped loop 15, pivotally connected to the handle 1 and adapted to swing over the outer extremity of the operating-handle 14:, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the operating-handle 14 being thus securely held while the implement is being used for removing the bark from posts or otherwise trimming the posts in order to obtain solid wood into which to drive the staples for hold ing the line-wires of the fence. The cutterdisk is provided with a central countersunk opening 16, and the head is provided with a corresponding registering opening 18, the said openings receiving a pivot 19, headed at its opposite ends, as at 20, to securely hold the cutter-disk in place within the recess, as illustrated in Fig. 4, in which figure it will-be seen that the outer surface of the cutter-disk ICO forms a flush portion of the hatchet-blade, and the end of the pivot is also flush with the outer surface of the cutter disk and hatchet-blade, such arrangement obviating any interference with the operation of the hatchet-blade on the part of the wire-cutter. The notches 12 and 13 are cut on a slightlyoblique line, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and preparatory to cutting the wire the handle 14 is moved outward to the full-line position of Fig. 1, which causes the notches to register and adapts them to receive the wire, after which by rocking the handle 14 to the dottedline position shown in Fig. 1a severing of the wire is effected.

The staplepuller is provided with a rockersurface 21, which forms the fulcrum upon which the staple-puller is rocked, and said staple-puller further comprises a single pointed bill 22, which is adapted to be inserted into and partially through a staple, at the same time passing beneath or under the wire held by the staple. After the pointed bill 22 is thus engaged with the staple the handle 1 is used as a lever, the fulcrum of which is the rocker-surface 21, and as the latter bears against the post adjacent to the staple a powerful leverage is obtained for drawing the staple out of the wood.

The oppositely-lying arms or members 23 of the tyihg-fork 5 are provided in their extremities with oppositely-facing notches 24,

designed to receive the overlapping ends of r the fence-wires for the purpose of twisting and tying the same.

J The operation of the tying-fork is as follows: The operator after detaching the tool from the wire-stretching machine slips the fork 5 over one wire about halfway between the lap of the two wires and gives it a slight turn to bend the end of one wire. In the same way he then bends the end of the other wire. He then catches both wires, one in one notch 25L and the other in the remaining notch,

and gives a right-hand turn of a complete revolution, when the ends of the wire are perfectly tied, the tying occurring below the point of the fork.

The tool hereinabove described is of course adapted for use in building new fences and also in repairing broken fences and is a very Valuable adjunct of the machine forming the subject-matter of a separate application of recent date filed by me.

- I do not desire to be limited to the details of construction hereinabove set forth and accordingly reserve the right to change, modify, or vary the construction within the scope of this invention. V

Havingthus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is- I A wire-fence tool comprising a handle, a hatchet-blade thereon having a disk-shaped facial recess in one side, a wire-cutter seated in said recess and forming a flush portion of the hatchet-blade, an operating lever-handle connected with said cutter-disk, and a retaining-loop for said lever-handle, the hatchetblade and cutter-disk being provided with registering wire-receiving notches, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES EWELL PEARSON.

Vitnesses:

13. L. APELL, GEO. II. Hour. 

